Query on Consists

[macka]

Hi,
I have noticed in the "Railway Herald" a lot of pictures of English passenger trains with a mainline locomotive either end of a rake of only 3 or 4 passenger cars and was wondering why so much horsepower for a small consist?
Is it for fast turnarounds or are they replacements for DMU's?
Thanks for any information.
Macka (Australia)

 

[teddytoot]

Very often replacement of defective DMUs is the case. However if it is a Class 33 with 4 coaches then it is probably one of the Bournemouth-Weymouth trains that operated up to the 80s. When the Southampton, Bournemouth line was electified in the 1960s, it was considered uneconomic to electrify the Weymouth section. The usual train to Bournemouth therefore consisted of three 4-coach units. The front unpowered 4-coach unit was taken on to Weymouth by a Class 33 diesel which then pushed it back to Bournemouth where it was attached to the waiting 8-car train. This ceased in the late 80s when the need to rebuild/replace the asbestos filled coaches meant that BR decided to electrify to Weymouth (on the cheap - the power supply is limited) and introduce the Wessex 5 coach EMUs